The US Washington Apple Commission (WAC) is focusing on expanding its market share in India.
The commission, which markets apple varieties grown in US Washington state, has dispatched its mobile road show teams to visit over 50 different tier-2 cities across India this season.
The road show will stop at four-six different venues in each city during the day, organising fun events that engage consumers and provide an opportunity for local merchants to sell Washington apples, explained WAC’s Rebecca Lyons, who recently returned from India.
“These cities represent populations of between 500,000 to 2m, and are an important growth opportunity to expand awareness and consumption of Washington apples,” she said.
India is a targeted growth market for Washington apples, and has seen good growth since first opening up to direct shipments over 10 years ago, Lyons revealed.
“Despite the high 50 per cent tariff on imports of fresh apples, India has developed into a market that is consistently in the top five export destinations for Washington apples, and is the second largest market for the Red Delicious variety,” she said. “During the current season, we are seeing the market rebound from last season’s performance, and shipments are up over 100 per cent season to date.”
Distribution of Washington apples is still predominantly through independent shops and street vendors, with modern retail formats only accounting for roughly 10 per cent of sales.
“Washington Apple Commission promotional efforts are therefore aimed at reaching the consumer either at street markets, through colourful point-of-sales materials, or through broad-based consumer advertising campaigns using key media such as radio, magazine and newspaper,” said Lyons.
“This season, we are a sponsor of two television cooking shows that will feature Washington apples as a key ingredient in recipes to appeal to families with children.”
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